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The ides of March. Originated with Julius Caesar, but not emphasized until Shakespeare wrote a play about a Roman dictator. But also how the dictator was assassinated and the underbelly of corruption was exposed. On this date in 2016, Bernie Sanders decided not to fold up his campaign, even though he did poorly in Super Tuesday. However, TBTB in the Democratic Party tried to coronate one of its baronesses as the nominee and did not honor their agreement to host more debates. But Bernie didn’t give up. He ended up winning more states and raising over $234M, over a million …Continue reading →

Sen. Bernie Sanders returned to Lansing on Sunday as part of a tour aimed at energizing his base from the 2016 Democratic primary, urging progressives to get involved.

“If I said it once, I’ve said it a million times, and that is real change never, ever takes place from the top on down,” Sanders told a crowd of more than 1,600 at the Lansing Center. “It is always from the bottom up.”

Change can happen only when “millions of people look around them and say loudly and clearly, ‘the status quo is not good enough, we demand change,'” Sanders said.

The rally was part of a 100-day “Repeal the Trump Tax” tour organized by Not One Penny, a coalition opposing President Donald Trump’s tax plan.

In a wide-ranging speech that mirrored his messaging in 2016, Sanders pointedly criticized Trump and the Republican president’s agenda, calling Trump “a pathological liar” and “the least-qualified president” in the nation’s history.

The independent senator from Vermont touched on health care reform, gun control, race and gender inequality, income inequality, immigration, climate change, tuition-free college, paid family and medical leave and other topics during his 45-minute speech.

Trump promised tax reform that benefited the middle class, he said. “Well, it turns out that the bill he supported and passed will provide 83 percent of the benefits at the end of 10 years to the top 1 percent. And at the end of 10 years, 93 million middle-class Americans will be paying more in taxes, not less.”

Senator Bernie Sanders learned what concerns young people in Vermont from the finalists of his annual essay competition.

The Statehouse Meeting Hall was filled with intelligent high schoolers on Saturday morning.

“For eight years now, we’ve gotten kids from all over the state to write essays about what they would do… what kind of speech they would give if they were President of the United States,” Sen. Sanders said.

Young minds raised concerns to the Senator such as discrimination, cost of higher education and climate change. Other topics included dreamers, marijuana and sexism.

“It amazes me to hear what these young people are thinking about,” Sen. Sanders said.

One of those students was Zoe Prue. She is a junior at Champlain Valley Union High School who wrote an essay about universal healthcare.

“We should make that more of a priority because it would be really significant for the next generation of Americans,” Prue said. “We’re investing in a new workforce and I really believe that health is really… it’s a human right.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, says the 3-day-long government shutdown that briefly brought Washington grinding to a halt was “the right thing to do” in order to stand up for “Dreamers.”

“I think from a moral perspective it was the right thing to do. And that is to say to these 800,000 young people, we are not going to allow them to be subjected to deportation,” Sanders told CBS News’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday.

Sanders said short-term continuing resolutions like the one that ended the shutdown by funding the government at current levels through Feb. 8 are “very detrimental to the military and to many other agencies of government.”

“We are a $4 trillion government. There are areas where we should be spending more money, areas where we should be spending less money. But you cannot simply spend in every division of the government the same amount as you spent last year,” he said. “It’s a terrible, terrible and inefficient way to run a government.”

While both Republicans and Democrats have called for DACA legislation to protect Dreamers, Sanders said he still has concerns about the Trump administration’s other priorities in any immigration bill, such as cuts to legal immigration programs.

“We cannot let [Dreamers] be put in a position where they’re subjected to deportation,” he said. “So the main focus to my mind has got to be to make sure that Dreamers have legal status and a path toward citizenship.”

With just three days left before the federal government runs out of money, congressional Democrats are divided over whether to risk a shutdown in order to force Republicans to sign on to a bipartisan immigration deal this week.

It’s the same quandary the party faced last month and twice before that. Only now, the stakes are higher and Republicans appear to be handing them some leverage.

At issue is whether to support a measure to keep the government running absent a deal to grant legal protections for the undocumented immigrants brought to the United States illegally as children. Last month, Democrats punted on the matter. And with a March deadline looming for the formal end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program—which protected an estimated 800,000 DREAMers from deportation—they are now facing impassioned demands from their base to take advantage of one of their few remaining pressure points.

“[President Donald Trump] said to the Republican Congress, fix it. Remember that? That’s what he said. Fix it. And it is their job to fix it. So, no, I will not be voting for any [short-term extension] that does not provide legal status to the DREAMers and a path toward citizenship,” Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) told reporters at the Capitol.

But that sentiment is not shared universally across the party, with some lawmakers wary that Democrats would both cede the moral high ground and invite the blame.

“Historically, it’s Republicans that shut the government down and Democrats don’t want to play that,” said Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), a progressive Democrat who is up for re-election in a state Trump won in 2016. “Every time the government shuts down or always shuts down, it’s the Tea-Party talking points and it’s threatening to shut the government down, it’s threatening to not pay our bills, threatening default—it’s what they do. Democrats absolutely don’t want to shut the government down.”

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The party’s slate of aspiring 2020 presidential candidates—notably Sens. Kamala Harris (D-CA), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)—has encouraged their colleagues to adopt a more united front. And they’ve been joined by more progressive members of the party.

“There’s no reason we can’t get this done. There is one compromise that can get the votes, and it’s just up to [Republican leaders] whether they want to schedule it or not,” Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) said, referring to the bipartisan compromise brokered last week. “And the reason they don’t want to schedule it is not because it can’t get the votes, but because it can. And they would have to do a bipartisan deal, which they are still allergic to.”

Following an early Saturday morning vote on a new tax plan, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders continues taking his message across the country.

He arrived at the Santander Performing Arts Center in Reading on Sunday to speak to more than 1,000 supporters.

Sanders touched on various topics including health care and President Donald Trump, but the most often talked about topic was that of the new tax plan approved by the Senate this weekend. Sanders is one of the plan’s most vocal opponents.

“Trickle down economics is a trick,” Sanders bellowed from the stage.

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Despite the seated, intimate atmosphere of the Santander Performing Arts Center, there were times when the gathering took on the look, feel and sound of a rowdy rally. But the overall message among the thousand plus in attendance was clear.

“I think his message is to stay relentless,” said Eileen Kerrigan of Philadelphia. “And continue to resist what’s being forced on us.”

The full Reading Rally as well as other news/videos/tweets/etc. will be in the comments, including:

A fiery Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, last in town while campaigning in the 2016 presidential election, hosted an energetic crowd at the John S. Knight Center, his third scheduled appearance on a three-day “Protecting Working Families” tour through Kentucky, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Sanders arrived in Akron 17 hours after voting against the latest version of the GOP’s plan to rewrite the federal tax code. It passed narrowly along party lines and now heads to conference committee. President Donald Trump wants it on his desk before January.

The reform package reduces nominal tax rates and would add more than $1 trillion to the national debt. Critics like Sanders argue that the wealthy and large corporations benefit more than middle-class taxpayers. Many independent and congressional analysts agree.

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The Akron event, coordinated by the progressive political activists of MoveOn.org and the Not One Penny campaign, coalesced around egalitarian ideals like Medicare for all, free public college and equal pay for women. Sanders chided influential American “oligarchs” who he said are taking control of the world’s wealthiest democracy.

“As we saw last night, that big money can dictate a major, major piece of legislation,” he said. “Democracy has got to be something that we fight for. That’s why we need you to come out in an unprecedented way to knock on doors and talk to neighbors.”

The Establishment (political, economic and media) wants us to believe is that real and fundamental changes in our society are impossible.

No. We cannot guarantee health care to all as a right. No. We cannot revitalize the trade union movement, raise the minimum wage to a living wage of $15 an hour and provide pay equity for women. No. We cannot effectively compete in the global economy by making public colleges and universities tuition-free. No. We cannot lead the world in combatting climate change and transforming our energy system away from fossil fuels. No. We cannot reform our broken criminal justice system or finally achieve comprehensive immigration reform.

They want us to think that in the wealthiest country in the history of the world, a nation which has more income and wealth inequality than almost any nation on earth, the best that we can do is to accept tiny, incremental change.

I could not disagree more.

Right now, a Democratic National Committee Unity Reform Commission, comprised of people who supported our campaign, people who supported Secretary Clinton’s campaign, and people appointed by DNC Chair Tom Perez are working on a set of policies that will determine the future direction of the Democratic Party. In many ways, this Unity Commission will determine whether the Party goes forward in a dynamic and inclusive way, or whether it retains the failed status quo approach of recent years. It will determine whether the Party will have the grassroots energy to effectively take on Donald Trump, the Republican Party and their reactionary agenda or whether we remain in the minority.

In my view, this Commission must:

* Make the Democratic Party more democratic and the presidential contests more fair by dramatically reducing the number of superdelegates who participate in the nominating process. It is absurd that in the last presidential primary over 700 superdelegates (almost one-third of the delegates a candidate needed to win the nomination) had the power to ignore the will of the people who voted in the state primaries and caucuses.

* Make primaries more open by ending the absurdity of closed primary systems with antiquated, arbitrary and discriminatory voter registration laws. Republicans are the ones who make it harder for people to vote, not Democrats. At a time when more and more people consider themselves to be Independents our job is to bring people into the Democratic Party process, not exclude them. It is incredibly undemocratic that in some states voters must declare their party affiliation up to six months before the primary election.

* Make it easier for working people and students to participate in state caucuses. While there is much to be said for bringing people together face-to-face in a caucus to discuss why they support the candidate of their choice, not everybody is able to attend those caucuses at the time they are held. A process must be developed that gives everyone the right to cast a vote even if they are not physically able to attend a state caucus.

* Make the DNC’s budget and decision-making processes more open and transparent. If we are going to build a Party that relies on working people who are willing to give $5, $10 and $27 donations, they deserve to know where that money is going and how those decisions are made.

I look forward to following the progress of the Unity Reform Commission, and I urge Chairman Tom Perez and the entire Democratic National Committee to develop policies which move the Democratic Party forward in a very different direction — a direction that will lead us to national and statewide victories. It’s important that you do the same:

For far too long our families and communities have been ignored, dismissed and disenfranchised. We have witnessed stagnated wages and good paying jobs are hard to find. Wall Street and huge conglomerates have put profits over people. This must change. We must begin doing what is right for all of us.

We have the resources to take care of the issues important to us: jobs, healthcare, education, the environment, social security, the list goes on. The choice is ours. Will we take the bold step and demand that our country represent we the people once again? Jenny Marshall is prepared to step up and fight for the people of North Carolina’s 5th District in Washington. A true voice for all

Healthcare – While the Affordable Care Act was a step towards covering more Americans who needed health insurance, many issues remain including rising out of pocket costs and high copayments/deductibles. The most troubling of all is that 27 million Americans are still uninsured. Access to healthcare is a human right that all Americans should enjoy. Our present healthcare system is organized by and for the benefit of big insurance and pharmaceutical companies and not the American people. This must change. We must strive for a single payer healthcare system including dental and vision coverage that empowers the government to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies to lower the prices of prescription drugs.

Environment – We only have one earth and we must take care of it. This means investing in clean renewable energy sources, increasing sustainable building and clean air, soil and water protections.
•She will push for a •ban on fracking and eliminating the EPA fracking loophole for oil and gas companies.
•reinstate the superfund tax structure so that the cleanup of such sites does not burden the citizens, but the industry who created it.
•the passing of a renewable electricity standard (RES) setting binding targets for renewable energy in the near- and long-term to diversify the U.S. electricity generation mix, save consumers money, and reduce pollution.

Money, Politics and the Electoral Process – Our political system has been corrupted by corporate interests and ultra wealthy donors who abuse the system for their gain. The Citizens United ruling that absurd notion that money is speech, corporations are people, and giving huge amounts of undisclosed money to politicians in exchange for access and influence does not constitute corruption. Campaign finance reform must be accompanied by efforts to strengthen voting rights – restoring the full protections of the Voting Rights Act, expanding early voting, and vote-by-mail, implementing automatic voter registration and same day registration, moving to ranked voting, ending gerrymandering and ensuring open primaries, among others.

Making Work Pay​ – Many people across North Carolina are struggling to pay their bills simply because wages are too low. Our federal minimum wage, $7.25, has not come close to matching inflation. Basics like food and housing have become more expensive, but comparatively, the buying power of the minimum wage has decreased.
*​She will push for:•Raising the minimum wage to $15 which would mean a raise for hundreds of thousands and help to close the gender wage gap.
•Ensure that people get the pay they have earned and not comp time which can be controlled by the employer.
•Raise wages of service workers that rely on tips.

In a night of many firsts, several minority and LGBT candidates won local elections that echoed the blue wave in which Democrats won races large and small.

Two openly transgender candidates won races as well as the first Sikh mayor in New Jersey and first African-American mayors in major cities.

Danica Roem defeated incumbent delegate Bob Marshall, who had been elected 13 times over 26 years, for a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates. When Roem takes office, she will be the first openly transgender candidate to be elected and serve in a state legislative body.

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Marshall had been at odds with LGBT issues and had proposed a state bill in 2015 that would allow anyone who has a license with the state to refuse services to gay people and earlier this year introduced a bill to restrict transgender people’s access to public restrooms, CNN local affiliates reported.

During the campaign, Marshall refused to use Roem’s correct pronouns.

Roem was open about her gender identity and had backing from LGBT groups.

“To every person who has ever been singled out, who has ever been stigmatized, who has ever been the misfit, who’s ever been the kid in the corner, who’s ever needed someone to stand up for them when they didn’t have a voice of their own because there is no one else with them, this one is for you,” she told her supporters Tuesday night.

This week was a watershed moment for the Establishment Dems: Donna Brazile and Elizabeth Warren broke ranks this week by acknowledging the DNC needs to clean its house. It makes me wonder if they will finally reach out a little more to those of us in the trenches of the Political Revolution. As many of the Birdies know, I attended the People’s Summit held in Chicago in June this year. I did some live blogging from it, but I never did do a write up of the conference. I chose to do my write up at TOP because no one …Continue reading →

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders brought his strategy of trying to reenergize the Democratic Party by lending his star power to lower-level races to a small city just outside Boston on Monday, with a stop to endorse candidates for alderman and city council.

Sanders, an independent who ran for the Democratic Party nomination in the 2016 presidential election, announced his support for a dozen candidates backed by “Our Revolution” a group formed by supporters of Sanders’ campaign to boost progressive, liberal candidates.

It is unusual for a politician with Sanders’ profile to weigh in on races with no serious Republican contenders, political observers said.

“The local level, more than any other level, is a way to involve people in the political process,” Sanders said in Somerville, Massachusetts, a city of 80,000 people.

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Sanders may not need to tip too many voters to influence the typically low-turnout city races. In the 2013 ward races, just two candidates secured more than 1,000 votes and the four closest races were decided by an average of 166 votes.

“It’s definitely a draw and I think it’s important that he is supporting local candidates,” said Ellora Derenoncourt, a 30-year-old graduate student who was out to show her support for alderman candidate J.T. Scott, a gym owner in his first race.

The event did attract some undecided voters who said Sanders’ endorsement would sway their picks among fields of Democratic candidates.

“Our country has moved so far to their right since the mid-90s that just being a Democrat doesn’t necessarily qualify you as a liberal or progressive,” said Pamela Massey, 59 of Cambridge.

More news/video/etc. in the comments, including:

*Sen. Elizabeth Warren Shows How Incredibly Annoying It Is to Call Equifax
*The DNC picked a bunch of sleazy lobbyists as superdelegates, can’t figure out why no one is donating
*Police Officers Return to Work After Killing Suspects With 137 Bullets
*President Trump is making us less safe by messing with the Iran Agreement
*Electric Cars and Surging Solar Spell Market Doom for Fossil Fuels
*Pipeline News, Water Protector Updates & More

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Bernie Sanders was the keynote speaker for the Strafford County Democrats’ fall event, and he drew a large crowd, including many state Democrats.

The Martel Roberge American Legion Post was set up with 500 chairs, but Rollinsford Selectman Mike Rollo estimated 600 people were present.

Sanders talked about health care, education, workers’ wages and the politics of Washington.

“We can sit here and make fun of Donald Trump and that would be easy to do,” said Sanders. “What we need to be doing is focusing, and uniting so we can bring this country back to where it should be, to where all Americans have rights and not just the top tier. We need to not allow this administration to divide us on any level, not on race, religion, country of origin, color of skin or sexual orientation.”

Sanders said he came with good news and bad news out of Washington.

“The good news is that even though the Republican Senate has a 52-to-48 majority, in the last five months, they have tried and failed five times to repeal the Affordable Care Act. That would have made 20 million people lose health insurance.”

Sanders said health insurance is a right for every American. He said the answer is to expand Medicare to everyone and bring in a single-payer health system. He said other countries do it and spend 50 percent less per capita than we do now.

“The bad news is that the Republicans just passed a budget, the ugliest and most destructive budget ever passed in the history of the United States,” said Sanders. “It is a framework and not a done deal and we need to work to defeat it because it is a moral obscenity.”

If/when video becomes available, I’ll have it up!

In the meantime, the rest of the days news will be in the comments, including:

*Sanders To Seek Senate Re-Election As An In Dependent
*2018 Candidates Hit The Streets
*US prepping nuclear bombers for 24-hour ready alert status
*Jimmy Carter says he is willing to go to North Korea on peace mission
*California fires took thousands of homes. Now rent in hardest-hit areas is soaring
*Half a Million March in Massive Uprising Against Spanish Plan to Overtake Catalonia
*Pipeline Updates, Waters Protector News & More